Mr KURRUPUWU - 2012-12-04
Can you update the House on the strong legislative agenda being executed by the government since taking office 101 days ago?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, in the past 101 days we have been a very busy government. Whilst much of the public debate has focused on our fiscal position, as a government we have been working diligently to address other matters that affect the people of the Northern Territory.
Needless to say, members in this House would be aware of some of the bills which have come before this House, are coming before this House, and which have passed through this House in the first 100 days of our government.
So people get an impression of the amount of work that has been, and is being, done, the bills which are being worked on and will pass are: the Bail Amendment Bill; the Domestic and Family Violence Bill; the Criminal Code Amendment (Violent Act Causing Death) Bill; the Victims of Crime Assistance Amendment Bill; Northern Territory Environmental Protection Authority Bill; Planning Amendment Bill; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill; the Evidence (National Uniform Legislation) Amendment Bill – are you getting bored yet because there is a lot more to go? – Evidence (National Uniform Legislation) (Consequential Amendments) Bill; Police Administration Amendment Bill; Criminal Code Amendment (Assaults on Workers) Bill; Rail Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Bill; Justice Legislation Amendment (Age of Retirement) Bill; Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Amendment Bill; Tourism Amendment Bill; Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, Serious Sexual Offender’s Bill; community housing providers national uniform legislation act; Superannuation (Northern Territory Government) Bill 2013; Care and Protection of Children Amendment Bill; Adult Decision Making Bill; Powers of Attorney Amendment Bill; and Criminal Code Amendment Bill. And it will not stop there.
The reason I bring this into the House is to demonstrate to Territorians that this government is switched on and listening. These are matters that could have been attended to by the former government but, since coming into government, we have realised that for the past six months the former ministers were not even in their offices. When I started in my office, I was astonished to discover the number of things which had been unattended to by the former Attorney-General ...
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Attorney-General should outline for the House what on that list was from the previous government.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business.
Mr ELFERINK: I agree there were things from the previous government. Why were they not passed into this House? Because you were sitting there doing nothing - worrying about the next Territory election and not worrying about the true administration of the Northern Territory for the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory ...
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! As the Attorney-General knows only too well, he must direct his comments through you.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Nhulunbuy. If you could address your comments ...
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I get really irritated when I hear this sort of thing from the members opposite, because they were too busy trying to get re-elected and not attending to the matters that were important to the people of the Northern Territory. Why am I coming into this House passing the legislation he says they were working on? They were not working on it and that is the point.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, in the past 101 days we have been a very busy government. Whilst much of the public debate has focused on our fiscal position, as a government we have been working diligently to address other matters that affect the people of the Northern Territory.
Needless to say, members in this House would be aware of some of the bills which have come before this House, are coming before this House, and which have passed through this House in the first 100 days of our government.
So people get an impression of the amount of work that has been, and is being, done, the bills which are being worked on and will pass are: the Bail Amendment Bill; the Domestic and Family Violence Bill; the Criminal Code Amendment (Violent Act Causing Death) Bill; the Victims of Crime Assistance Amendment Bill; Northern Territory Environmental Protection Authority Bill; Planning Amendment Bill; Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Bill; the Evidence (National Uniform Legislation) Amendment Bill – are you getting bored yet because there is a lot more to go? – Evidence (National Uniform Legislation) (Consequential Amendments) Bill; Police Administration Amendment Bill; Criminal Code Amendment (Assaults on Workers) Bill; Rail Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Bill; Justice Legislation Amendment (Age of Retirement) Bill; Classification of Publications, Films and Computer Games Amendment Bill; Tourism Amendment Bill; Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, Serious Sexual Offender’s Bill; community housing providers national uniform legislation act; Superannuation (Northern Territory Government) Bill 2013; Care and Protection of Children Amendment Bill; Adult Decision Making Bill; Powers of Attorney Amendment Bill; and Criminal Code Amendment Bill. And it will not stop there.
The reason I bring this into the House is to demonstrate to Territorians that this government is switched on and listening. These are matters that could have been attended to by the former government but, since coming into government, we have realised that for the past six months the former ministers were not even in their offices. When I started in my office, I was astonished to discover the number of things which had been unattended to by the former Attorney-General ...
Mr McCARTHY: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Attorney-General should outline for the House what on that list was from the previous government.
Madam SPEAKER: Leader of Government Business.
Mr ELFERINK: I agree there were things from the previous government. Why were they not passed into this House? Because you were sitting there doing nothing - worrying about the next Territory election and not worrying about the true administration of the Northern Territory for the true welfare of the people of the Northern Territory ...
Ms WALKER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! As the Attorney-General knows only too well, he must direct his comments through you.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Nhulunbuy. If you could address your comments ...
Mr ELFERINK: Madam Speaker, I get really irritated when I hear this sort of thing from the members opposite, because they were too busy trying to get re-elected and not attending to the matters that were important to the people of the Northern Territory. Why am I coming into this House passing the legislation he says they were working on? They were not working on it and that is the point.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016